Apparatus for formation and packing of containers



June 12, 1945. w BROWN 2,378,180

APPARATUS FOR FORMATION AND PACKING OF CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 28, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 12,1945. w. F. BROWN APPARATUS FOR FORMATION AND PACKING OF CONTAINERS I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28, 1942 w w w J 5 1 kw 5 2 0 8 j M Q, I 6 H....... H w Q .m 0M. .06 W W/JWL d n7 V 7 k 3 4 2 a a June 12, 1945. 2,378,180

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. APPARATUS FOR FORMATION AND PACKING OF CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 28, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 fill/411M 1,

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June 12, 1945. w. F, BROWN O 2,378,180

APPARATUS FOR FORMATION AND PACKING OF CONTAINERS Fil ed Feb. 28, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet s w iavmgf Patented June 12, 1945 APPARATUS FOR FORMATION AND PACKING F CONTAINERS William Francis Brown, Flushing, N. Y. Application February 28, 1942, Serial No. 432,874

17 Claims.

The invention here disclosed relates to the manufacture and the packing of containers.

Primarily, the invention is concerned with the packaging'of materials such as coffee, tea, cocoa and other beverage and food products in containers suitable for extracting purposes, such as disclosed in copending patent application Ser.

No. 389,715, filed April 22, 1941, Patent NO. 2,292;

101, dated Auguste, 1942.

Special objects of the present invention are to accomplish the blanking out, shaping, piercing, loading and assembling or closing of the packages in cartridge-like form, all in the one machine and as portions of the same continuous operation.

Other important objects of the invention are to provide thoroughly practical and efllcient mechanism for automatically effecting such results.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

.The drawings accompanying and forming part of the following specification illustrate one typical commercial embodiment of the invention. Structure however, may be modified and 'changed as regards the immediate disclosure, all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 is a broken part sectional top plan view of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a broken and tion of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a part sectional and top plan view of parts as on substantially the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sectional views on substantially the planes of lines 4-4 and 5-5 part sectional side elevaof Fig. 3, illustrating relations of parts at the blanking and forming station and at the ejecting and closing station respectively.

Fig. 6 is a broken top plan view of the assembly.

Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional view on substantially the plane of line 'I-I of Fig. 6, showing the associated blanking die and part also of the top plate carrying the stationary cams which effect operation of the die members in the rotary travel of such mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a broken sectional detail of the upper blanking and forming cam mechanism.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the double faced cutting and forming die unit.

Fig. 10 is a broken vertical sectional view of the latter as on substantially the line Ill-l0 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a face view of the lower forming and upper die piercing die unit, with the ejector operating therein.

Figs. 12 to 17 are diagrammatic views illustrating successive stages in the blanking, forming, piercing, loading and closing operations.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view of one set'of the cams for effecting the blanking, cutting, forming and piercing operations.

The machine illustrated, consists in general of a rotary turret carrying the necessary die mechanism and operating within a stationary frame carrying cams for actuating the die mechanism.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the frame is shown as made up of stationary upper and lower heads 20, 2|, rigidly secured in spaced relation by stay rods 22, 23, 24, and struts 25, 26.

The turret is shown as made up of upper and lower tables 21, 28, an intermediate spacer 29, and upper and lower journal extensions 30, 3|, all bolted together by a stay rod 32, and the end extensions journalled in the top and bottom plates of the frame at 33, 34.

The turret is rotated continuously by pinions 35, 36, in engagement with the gear toothed rims 31, 3B, of the upper and lower tables, said pinions being carried by the vertical shaft 39, journalled in the top and bottom plates of the frame and operated through suitable reduction gearing 40, from motor 4|.

The containers produced in the machine consist of upper and lower telescopically engaged cup-like shells and the die mechanism accordingly includes substantially duplicate forming and piercing dies for the upper and lower shells and an intermediate die for cutting out the necessary blanks of material, between such upper and lower die mechanisms.

The sheet material from which the blanks are cut is shown entering the machine at 42, 43, from supply rolls, such as shown at the right in Figures 1 and 2 and which may be suitably supported on or at that side of the machine. This may be a paper-like material such as vulcanized or hard fiberand, for convenience of description, may simply be referred to as the paper.

The upper die mechanism is made up of plungers operating downwardly in a guide sleeve 44. carried by the upper rotary table 21, and the lower set of dies operate upwardly in a guide sleeve 45, carried by the lower table 28.

In Figs. 6 and 7, details of the upper die unit are shown and this illustration may be considered as representative of both units, since one differs from the other practically only in that the upper one produces a cap or cover shell just enough larger to telescope over the bottom forming shell produced by the lower iznit.

Operating directly within guide sleeve 44, is a tubular member 46, having an outstanding presser flange 41, at its lower end and a central chamber 48,. slidinglyreceiving the cylindrical head portion 49, of thetop forming die. A spring 50, surrounding the presser sleeve 46, and interposed between the top of the guide sleeve 44, and flange 5|, of sleeve 46, yieldingly supports and retracts said sleeve to the extent permitted by the rollers 52, on the upper end of the sleeve riding the underface of the stationary top plate.

Screw studs 53, extending from the guide tube 44, in through slots 54, hold the presser sleeve against turning and also serve as supports for the abutment washer 55, for the lower end of the spring 56, which surrounds the shank portion 51, of the forming die and by engagement with abutment 58, on the upper end of said stem raises and retracts the forming die to the extent permitted by rollers 59, tracking on the underface of top plate 20.

The head portion 49, of the upper forming die member is shown as having a shallow cylindrical cavity 60, defined by a surrounding annular wall 6|. Recessed in the back wall of the die cavity, there is indicated a cruciform ejector 62,

' carried by a stem 63, operating up through the shank of the die and raised by spring 54, to the extent permitted by the roll 65, tracking the underface of the top plate.

Projecting from the back wall of the mold cavity 60 are needles 66, for piercing or puncturing the container shells after the manner disclosed in Patent No. 2,292,101.

The cams for efiecting operation of the plungers 48, which actuate the cutting knives, are indicated at 61, 61, in the form of short inclines spaced for engagement by rollers 52, 52; the cams for actuating the forming plungers are indicated each as consisting of an incline 68, a step 69 and a second incline 10, positioned for engagement by rollers 59, 59. These cams are located on the underside of the top plate 20, and on the upper side of the bottom plate 2|, at the approach to the blank cutting station, substantially as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. During travel at this station, the rollers 65, for the ejectors may ride the same cam faces 68, 69, 10, as the rollers 59, 59, so that there is no independent movement of the ejectors in the forming dies.

The blanking out operations will be clear from Figs. 9 and 10, which show the strips of paper 42, 43, directed between upper and lower sets of cutting knives, consisting in each instance, of a movable shearing ring I I, having an inwardly extending external cutting edge 12, coacting with an inwardly extending internal cutting edge I3, in a shearing and forming block I4. Springs 15, interposed between inwardly projecting pins 16, operating in guide openings H, with overstanding jaws 18, adjustably held by the screw 19, provide means for yieldingly separating, guiding and confining the annular cutters 1|, and resilient washers 80, about the annular cutting edges I2, serve first to grip and to then strip the stock from the knives.

As indicated in Fig. 7, the cutting rings II, are disposed in the path of movement of the flanges 41, of the sleeves 46, so as to be engaged and actuated thereby.

In addition to their cutting function, the ring members 1|, are utilized to corelate and center the intermediate cutting and forming unit with respect to the upper and lower forming dies and for which purpose, they are provided each with a bevelled or rounded inwardly convergent opening ll, the upper one to receive and guide the rim SI, of the upper forming die and the lower one to receive and guide the rim of the lower forming die. 7

The internal shaping members for the upper and lower forming dies are provided respectively by the annular walls 92, 93, on the upper and lower faces of the intermediate die block 14, the upper slight larger than the lower, to produce a cover blank which will telescope over a slightly smaller box or bottom blank.

Inside the blank forming walls 92, 83, the block is shown as carrying fillers 84, 84, of penetrable material, such as wood, to receive the points of the piercing needles.

The annular channels 85, 85, between the inwardly facing cutting edges 13 and the outwardly facing blank forming edges 82, 83, provide spaces for the flanges or rims of the blanks as they are folded inwardly by the forming dies.

After the blanks are cut, formed and pierced, the center die unit last described, is retracted to expose the bottom blank in its forming cavity, for filling.

The retraction of the intermediate die unit is eifected, in the illustration, by a cam ring 85, Fig. 1 carried by the stationary uprights 25, 26, and entered in a groove 81, Figs. 9 and 10 in the outer face of the block 14. This block is pressed outward against the cam ring by a spring 8!, bearing against the end of a guiding and supporting tube 89, projecting from the center shafting 29, said block being slidingly guided over said tube at 90, and having a projecting stem portion 9|, sliding within the tube.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a cylindrical filling chamber 92, is located directly over the lower table 28, of the turret, at a point where the intermediate die unit is fully withdrawn by the cam ring and in position to register with the opening, in said table through which the lower forming die operates as indicated in Fig. 15. This measuring and charging chamber is shown connected by a spout or chute 94, with a hopper 95, and serves to drop the required charge of material into the lower box or cartridge section as the table in its rotation brings that section into register. Fig. 15- shows the latter condition with the lower box section in the cavity 93 of the lower die beneath the open bottom of the charging chamber 92. As the turret continues its rotation, the top of the table operates as a sliding closure holding the contents of the chamber in place until the die opening again comes in register with the chamber.

As the turret, in its continued rotative movement, carries the box sections onward beyond the filling station, with the sections in fully separated relation and the lower one filled with the requisite amount of material, Fig. 16 the rollers 59, 59, of the upper and lower forming dies encounter cams 95, 96, on the top and bottom plates to project the forming dies into the mating relation indicated in Fig. 16, with the flange 91, of the lower die centering in the countersunk lip 98, of the upper die. Then with the top and bottom sections of the cartridge held impaled on the needles 66, and the sections positively registered for telescopic engagement one over the other, the ejectors 62, are projected, by en a of rollers 55, with cams 99, to shift such sections out of their mold cavities and into the fully telescoped relation indicated in Fig. 17.

I only one set 01' die mechanisms to produce upper and lower cartridge sections, but there may be as many such units as found desirable.

Figs. 9 and 10 show the strips of paper-accurately positioned at the inner edges by guide pins l 02, thus to locate the outer edges, so they will be cut through, as the cutters I I blank out the discs which form the cartridge sections. This severing of the outer edges of the strips at I03, Fig. 9, permits the strips to bend slightly at their inner edges where they remain connected at I04, to accommodate themselves to the slight arc of travel for that time that the strips are gripped in the carry the cutter ring II. into engagement with the paper and to then blank out the disc at the cu ting edges 12, 13.

Fig. 14 illustrates the forming dies 49, advanced to mold the blanks into cupped formation and to puncture the formed shapes by the needles 66'.

Fig, 15 illustrates the condition where. in further rotation of the turret, and after retraction of the forming dies, the upper and lower cartridge sections, supported and held on the piercing needles are carried. in their separated relation around to the filling chamber 92, which deposits a charge of the cofl'ee or other material being packed into the lower section 43, then below the surface of the table 28, in the opening 93.

Fig. 16 illustrates the succeeding stage in which the mating flanges oi the upper and lower dies meet to center the sections in telescopic relation and Fig. 17 illustrates the succeeding step in which the ejectors 62, are projected to fully telescope the upper and lower cartridge sections 42, 43.

In a present preferred operation, the cams 96, are engaged by the rollers 59, to bring the cartridge sections into close registry and then the earns 99. are engaged by the rollers 65, to operate the ejectors, the lower one slightly ahead of the other, so as to lift the lower filled container section up into the cover section, while the latter is still held exactly positioned on the pins, within the upper forming die, after which lowered portions of cams 99, permit the electors to release their grasp on the filled and closed cartridge, so that it can be freed and directed out 01' the machine by the ejector I 00. For the purpose of more firmly holding the container sections, particularly the upper or cover section, the piercing needles may be burred or roughened.

By the means described, the container sections are held under controlat all times, from their inception at the blanking dies, through the filling and closing operations, so that there is no lost time and no loss of control.

The operations are continuous, smooth and exact and costs of packaging are reduced to a minimum.

The presser sleeves are held against rotation in the tubular guides. The forming dies are similarly held against rotation in the presser sleeves and the electors are held against rotation by having the studs I05, slidingly guided in slots in the sides of the forming die stems, substantially as illustrated in Fig. 7.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the character disclosed, the combination of oppositely disposed and oppositely operating die'mechanisms for substantially simultaneously blankin and forming telescopically cooperative cupped container blanks in spaced opposed relation. .i'aced one into the other, means for filling material into one of the formed blanks while supporting the same in said spaced opposed relation, adjoining, sequentially acting means for then effecting the telescopic engagement of said formed and thus filled blanks one over the other and means incorporated with said opposed die mechanisms for eiiecting the piercing of said blanks as a part 01' said forming operation.

2. In a machine of the character disclosed, the combination of oppositely disposed and oppositely operating die mechanisms for substantially simultaneously blanking and forming telescopically cooperative cupped container blanks in spaced opposed relation, iaced one into the other, means for filling material into one of the formed blanks while supporting the same in said spacedopposed relation, adjoining, sequentially acting means for then eiiecting the telescopic engagement of said formed and thus filled blanks one over the other and needles incorporated in said forming die mechanisms for piercing said blanks and for then holding the blanks in said spaced relation impaled on said needles. I

3. In a machine of the character d sclosed, the combination of oppositely disposed and oppositely operating die mechanisms for substantially simultaneously blanking and forming telescopic -ly cooperative cupped container blanks in spaced opposed relat on. faced one into the other. means for filling material into one of the formed blanks while supporting the same in said spaced opposed relation, adjoinin sequentially acting means for then effecting the telescopic engagement of said formed-and thus filled blanks one over the other, said die mechan sms including oppositely acting forming dies and oppositely acting cutting dies interposed between said forming dies and means for eilecting retraction of said cutting dies from in between said forming dies prior to said filling operation.

4, In combination, a compound cutting die unit having oppositely acting blanking out dies at opposite faces of the same and form ng die elements at said opposite faces within the outlines of the blanks produced by said blanking out dies and oppositely acting forming die elements operating through said blanking out dies and cooperat ve with said first mentioned forming die elements at said opposite faces of said compound cutting die unit, said last mentioned forming die elements having means cooperative with said blanking out dies to efiect registrat on of the cooperative forming die elements.

5. In combination. a compound cutting die unit having oppositely acting blanking out dies at opposite faces of the same and forming die elements at said opposite faces within the outlines of the blanks produced by said blanking out dies, oppositely acting forming die elements operating through said blanking out dies and cooperative with said first mentioned forming die elements at said opposite faces of said compound cutting die unit and means for effecting retraction of said unit from in between the last mentioned forming elements.

6. In combination, a compound cutting die unit having oppositely acting 'blanking' out dies at opposite faces of the same and forming die elements at said opposite faces within the outlines of the blanks produced by said blanking out dies, oppositely acting forming die elements operating through said blanking out dies and cooperative with said first mentioned forming die elements at said opposite faces of said compound cutting die unit, cam mechanism for effecting timed actuation of said blanking out dies and forming die elements and cam means for effecting retraction of said unit from in between the last mentioned forming elements.

'7. In combination, a turret rotating 'on a vertical axis and having upper and lower heads, an intermediate compound cutting die unit positioned between said heads and rotativewith said turret, and including blank cutting dies at the upper and lower faces of said unit, forming die elements on the upper and lower faces of said compound cutting die unit, a downwardly acting forming die element carried by said upper head and cooperative with the forming element on the upper face of said intermediate compound cutting die unit, an upwardly acting forming die element carried by said lower head and cooperative with the forming die element at the lower face of said intermediate unit and means carried by said upper and lower heads for effecting operation of the cutting dies carried by said intermediate compound cutting die unit.

8. In combination, a turret rotating on a vertical axis and having upper and lower heads, an intermediate compound cutting die unit positioned between said heads and rotative with said turret and including blank cutting dies at the upper and lower faces of said unit, forming die elements on the upper and lower faces of said compound cutting die unit, a downwardly acting forming die element carried by said upper head and cooperative with the forming element on the upper face of said intermediate compound cutting die unit, an upwardly acting forming die element carried by said lower head and cooperative with the forming die element at the lower face of said intermediate unit, means carried by said upper and lower heads for effecting operation of the cutting dies carried by said intermediate compound cutting die unit, means for effecting withdrawal of said compound cutting die unit from a position between said forming die elements carried by said upper and lower heads and means for loading material into one of the formed blanks while said compound cutting die unit is so withdrawn.

9. In combination, a turret rotating on a vertical axis and having upper and lower heads, an intermediate compound cutting die unit positioned between said heads and rotative with said turret and including blank cutting dies at the upper and lower faces of said unit, forming die elements on the upper and lower faces of said compound cutting die unit, a downwardly acting forming die element carried by said upper head and cooperative with the forming element on the upper face of said intermediate compound cutting die unit, an upwardly acting forming die element carried by said lower head and cooperative with the forming die element at the lower face of said intermediate unit, means carried by said upper and lower heads for effecting operation of the cutting dies carried by said intermediate compound cutting die unit, means for effecting withdrawal of said compound cutting die unit from a, position between said forming die elements carried by said upper and lower heads, means for loading material into one of the formed blanks while said compound cutting die unit is so withdrawn and means operating in conjunction with said forming die elements for piercing the blanks.

10. In combination, a turret rotating on a vertical axis and having upper and lower heads, an intermediate compound cutting die unit positioned between said heads and rotative with id turret and including blank cutting dies at the upper and lower faces of said unit, forming die elements on the upper and lower faces of said compound cutting die unit, a downwardly acting forming die element carried by said upper head and cooperative with the forming element on the upper face of said intermediate compound cutting die unit, an upwardly acting forming die element carried by said lower head and cooperafive with the formingdie element at the lower face of said intermediate unit, means carried by said upper and lower heads for effecting operation of the cutting dies carried by said intermediate compound cutting die unit, means for effecting withdrawal of said compound cutting die unit from a position between said forming die elements carried by said upper and lower heads, means for loading material into one of the formed blanks while said compound cutting die unit is so withdrawn and ejector means operating through said head-carried forming die elements for telescopically engaging the formed and thus filled blanks one over the other.

11. In combination, a turret rotating on a vertical axis and having upper and lower heads, an intermediate compound cutting die unit positioned betweensaid heads and rotative with said turret and including blank cutting dies at the upper and lower faces of said unit, forming die elements on the upper and lower faces of said compound cutting die unit, a downwardly acting forming die element carried by said upper head and cooperative with the forming element on the upper face of said intermediate compound cutting die unit, an upwardly acting forming die element carried by said lower head and cooperative with the forming die element at the lower face of said intermediate unit, means carried by said upper and lower heads for effecting operation of the cutting dies carried by said intermediate compound cutting die unit, means for effecting withdrawal of said compound cutting die unit from -a position between said forming die elements carried by said upper and lowerheads, means for loading material into one of the formed blanks while said compound cutting die unit is so withdrawn, ejector means operating through said head-carried forming die elements for telescopically engaging the formed and thus filled blanks one over the other and means operating in conjunction with said forming die elements for piercing the blanks.

12. In combination, a turret rotating on a vertical axis and having upper and lower heads, an intermediate compound cutting die unit positioned between said heads and rotative with said turret and including blank cutting dies at the upper and lower faces of said unit, forming die elements on the upper and lower faces of said compound cutting die unit, a downwardly acting forming die element carried by said upper head and cooperative with the forming element on the upper face of said intermediate compound cutting die unit, an upwardly acting forming die element carried by said lower head and cooperative with the forming die element at the lower face of said intermediate unit, means carried by said upper and lower heads for effecting operation of the cuttin dies carried by said intermediate compound cutting die unit, means for effecting withdrawal of said compound cutting die unit from a position between said forming die elements carried by said upper and lower heads, means for loading material into one of the formed blanks while said compound cutting die unit is so withdrawn, ejector meanf operating through said head-carried forming die elements for telescopically engaging the formed and thus filled blanks one over the other and needles carried by certain of said forming die elements for eflecting piercing of the blanks.

13. In a machine of the character disclosed, opposed travelling supports, tubular guides carried thereby, presser sleeves operating in said guides, forming dies operating in said sleeves, electors operating in said forming dies, a compound die unit disposed between said travelling supports and having movable cutters at the opposite faces of the same opposed to and operative by said presser sleeves and forming die elements cooperative with said first mentioned forming dies and means for effecting timed actuation of said presser sleeves, first mentioned forming dies and electors.

14. In a machine of the character disclosed, opposed travelling supports, tubular guides carried thereby, presser sleeves operating in said mildes, forming dies operating in said sleeves, ejectors operating in said forming dies, 9. compound die unit disposed between said travellins supports and having movable cutters at the opposite faces of the same opposed to and operative by said presser sleeves and forming die elements cooperative with said first mentioned forming dies, means for effecting timed actuation of said presser sleeves, first mentioned forming dies and electors and means for eflecting the positioning of said compound die unit between and for withdrawing same from in between said presser sleeves during travel of said supports.

15. In a machine of the character disclosed,

opposed travelling supports, tubular guides carried thereby, presser sleeves operating in said uides, forming dies operating in said sleeves, electors operating in said forming dies, a compound die unit disposed between said travelling supports and having movable cutters at the opposite faces of the'same opposed to and operative by said presser sleeves and forming die elements cooperative with said first mentioned forming dies, means for effecting timed actuation of said presser sleeves, first mentioned forming dies and ejectors, means for effecting the positioning of said compound die unit between and for withdrawing same from in between said presser sleeves during travel of said supports and means for loading material into the blank formed at one side of said unit at a time when said unit is so withdrawn.

16. A machine for forming pierced containers, comprising an intermediate forming die, having forming elements of different diameters on the opposite ends of the same, companion forming dies cooperative with said forming die elements at the opposite ends of said intermediate unit to produce opposed cup-shaped blanks or a size to telescopically fit one within the other, needles operative through said companion die elements to pierce the blanks so formed, means for projecting and for then retracting said needles to withdraw the cupped blanks impaled thereon from over the forming die elements on the opposite ends of said intermediate die member and means for retracting said intermediate die member laterally from in between the withdrawn blanks impaled on said needles.

1'7. A machine for forming pierced containers, comprising an intermediate forming die, having forming elements of different diameters on the opposite ends of the same, companion forming dies cooperative with said forming-die elements at the opposite ends of said intermediate unit to produce opposed cup-shaped blanks of 'a size to telescopically fit one within the other, needles operative through said companion die elements to pierce the blanks so formed, means for projecting and for then retracting said needles to withdraw the cupped blanks impaled thereon from over the formin die elements on the opposite ends of said intermediate die member, means for retracting said intermediate die member laterally from in between the withdrawn blanks impaled on said needles and ejectors operating over said needles to force said blanks ofl said needles into telescopic relation engaged one over the other.

WILLIAM FRANCIS BROWN. 

